AHATA Appoints Rob Smith as President Following Jorge Pesquera’s Resignation

The Board of Directors of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association has accepted the resignation of Jorge Pesquera, President and CEO effective November 1. Mr. Pesquera has accepted the position of President and CEO of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau overseeing all tourism marketing for Florida’s largest county with 16,000 hotel rooms, a new convention center and some of the most upscale resorts in the country.

AHATA’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Rob Smith, currently GM of the Westin Aruba Resort to the CEO position effective October 1. Mr. Smith is currently employed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts as General Manager of the Westin Aruba. He has been serving this resort since April 1998, and held the role of Vice President of the previous ownership group, Aruba Hotel Enterprises, and General Manager of the then Wyndham prior to the sale of the hotel.

Mr. Smith was recognized as the Hotelier of the Year for AHATA in 2005 and was nominated for the same award on a regional basis with the Caribbean Hotel Association. He has served at a General Manager level for the past 14 years, is married and has two daughters and one son.

Established in 1965, AHATA is one of the oldest and most respected tourism entities in the Caribbean representing 22 hotels and 100 allied members. It invests over 80 percent of its $5.3 million budget in destination marketing in collaboration with the Aruba Tourism Authority.